As the demand increases for varying types of applications within mobile telecommunications networks, service providers must constantly upgrade their systems in order to reliably provide this expanded functionality. What was once a system designed simply for voice communication has grown into an all-purpose network access point, providing access to a myriad of applications including text messaging, multimedia streaming, and general Internet access. As seen in second and third generation networks, voice services must be carried over dedicated voice channels and directed toward a circuit-switched core, while other service communications are transmitted according to the Internet Protocol (IP) and directed toward a different, packet-switched core. This led to unique problems regarding application provisioning, metering and charging, and user's quality of experience (QoE) assurance.
In an effort to simplify the dual core approach of the second and third generation networks, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has recommended a new network scheme known as “Long Term Evolution” (LTE). In an LTE network, all communications are carried over an IP channel from user equipment (UE) to an all-IP core called the Evolved Packet Core (EPC). The EPC then provides gateway access to other networks while ensuring an acceptable QoE and charging a subscriber for their particular network activity.
The 3GPP generally describes the components of the EPC and their interactions with each other in a number of technical specifications. Specifically, 3GPP TS 23.203, 3GPP TS 29.212, 3GPP TS 29.213, and 3GPP TS 29.214 describe the Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF), and Bearer Binding and Event Reporting Function (BBERF) of the EPC. These specifications further provide some guidance as to how these elements interact in order to provide reliable data services and charge subscribers for use thereof. The 3GPP specification allows the PCC architecture to interwork with older generation networks (e.g., GPRS).
For example, 3GPP TS 29.212 and 3GPP TS 29.214 provide some guidance on the establishment of an application session by the EPC upon receipt of an application request from an application function (AF) in the form of an AA-Request (AAR) message or from a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) in the form of a Credit Control Request (CCR) message. The standards specify that the PCRF is responsible for receiving new application requests, creating new policy and charging control (PCC) rules commensurate with such requests, and providing these new PCC rules to the PCEF for installation. The 3GPP standards also define the format of application request messages and PCC rules.
The 3GPP standards do not, however, describe how the PCRF should interpret an application request or create PCC rules. Such functionality is desired for the operation of the EPC. Without an infrastructure to create appropriate PCC rules based on an application request, the EPC may not be able to establish application sessions, charge subscribers for application usage, or ensure that a certain QoE level is met in providing services. Further, for IP-CAN types (e.g., GPRS) that allow multiple IP-CAN bearers, bearer binding is desired for the PCC rule(s). Termination of IP-CAN bearers impacts resource usage on the PCEF and affects user experience.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide a method for distributing impacted PCC rules among IP-CAN bearers to achieve better resource usage on the PCEF and also facilitate enhanced user experience.